Dear Jeyamohan,
Vedanta is the foremost philosophical thought of India. The great masters of it, like Sankara born in Tamil Nadu. But why did it disappear from India?
Chandrase
Dear Chandrasekar,
It is just an appearance because in India, direct Vedantic discourses are very rare; in fact, there are almost no public Vedantic discourses here in Tamil Nadu. So vedantic technical words, or logic are unknown to us. It gives us the impression that we have no Vedanta around us and it is outdated or gone.
But we have to understand Vedanta in its complete form. Let me tell you this: Vedanta has a threefold functioning. First, it is a pure spiritual and cosmic vision. Second, it is a philosophical system. Third, it is a day-to-day practice. Only the second phase is not visible here. Because Vedanta is a highly intellectual idea, and its logic is a very subtle one. We have to learn it properly with the guidance of able teachers. Only those who practice Vedanta, known as ‘sadakas,’ and academics can properly understand and teach it in the modern world.
It can’t be lectured to the general public, or a public discourse on it actually insults its core. But it lives on in the minds of Indians as a vision; we see it in everyday conversations. Jeyakanthan once said that Vedanta is everywhere in the thoughts of ordinary people because our language itself is full of Vedantic words.
Vedanta is thriving as a religious faith and rituals in India. The core of Saivism and Vaishnavism is Vedanta. Almost all gods in Hinduism are called parabrahman. Everywhere you can hear the slogan “sivoham’ (I’m Siva), which is the most prominent Vedantic idea. Even Islam here is actually influenced by Vedanta; the Sufis say “anal Haq,’ which means “I am the Absolute.’
Jeyamohan
